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My Interesting Ball Watch "Click" to Login or Register 
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Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
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Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
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Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
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[Movement number: 118356]

 
Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
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6

 
Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
IHC Member 376
Watchmaker
Picture of Samie L. Smith
posted
Charlie
Nice watch and a early one, unusal to see a private label dial on a Ball.
 
Posts: 3208 | Location: Monticello, Kentucky U.S.A. | Registered: June 24, 2004
Picture of Joel W. Sarich
posted
Hi Charlie!
It is very unusual to see a private label like this on a ball watch without the name carried out on the movement. Very interesting. Can you share more pics of the case? Thank you for sharing.
Joel Sarich
 
Posts: 286 | Location: Northern Ohio in the USA | Registered: February 13, 2005
posted
Charlie, Is there a chance the dial is not original? Do you know the history on the watch?

Tom
 
Posts: 1060 | Registered: March 10, 2003
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

Ahhhh,

The dial is quite likely not original to that movement.

But guys, forget the dial, L@@K at that movement!

Now... what do you see that is very, very unusual?

Wink
 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
posted
Movement is signed "Ball & Co. as opposed to "Ball Watch Co.
Also the balance cap jewel is wrong.
Any 18s Hamilton dial will fit this movement so it may not be correct.


Aaron
 
Posts: 945 | Location: Geneva, Illinois in the U.S.A. | Registered: November 19, 2002
posted
multiple patent dates?
 
Posts: 185 | Location: Sedro Wooley, Washington USA | Registered: January 02, 2003
IHC Life Member
Sergeant at Arms
Picture of Scott A. Whittey
posted
Aloha

Ruby end cap on the balance staff?

Aloha Scott
 
Posts: 293 | Location: California City, California USA | Registered: May 05, 2005
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

I cannot speak with any certainty about the cap jewel.

The markings including patent dates are typical for that movement number.

But what is unusual and what is not at all typical of the other 17-jewel Ball-Hamilton movements?

Wink
 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
Picture of Joel W. Sarich
posted
Hi All:
The damaskeening pattern is that of the 21 jewel Ball-Hamilton movements.
Joel Sarich
 
Posts: 286 | Location: Northern Ohio in the USA | Registered: February 13, 2005
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

Everyone,

Joel is a noted and very knowlegeable Ball Watch Company collector.

So Joel, have you seen another 17-Jewel with the "wavy sunray" damaskeening?

I'm quite sure I have not.


Typical 17-Jewel Ball-Hamilton circular damaskeening...


 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
posted
thanks for all the posts, i don't think the dial is oringal ,but a perfact hamilton dial PL which would fit on a ball hamilton. i agree with Lindell that as being a 17j this pattern has not been seen on a 17j watch that i have ever seen, all the sunray pattern that i have seen only include the 21j and 23j , charlie
 
Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
Picture of Joel W. Sarich
posted
Lindell:
I have never seen another of this damaskeening pattern in a 17 jewel Ball - Hamilton before. The things we learn in IHC 185!
Cheers!
Joel
 
Posts: 286 | Location: Northern Ohio in the USA | Registered: February 13, 2005
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

Here's an Update!

Charlie,

We submitted a Research Request to the Library for information on 118356 the number of your unusual movement. What you see below was developed using information provided to us...

The Hamilton ledgers show Ball watches beginning at 118001 as Grade 999 17 Jewels sold to Webb C. Ball of Cleveland, Ohio. From there on it is just dittos all the way to 119000. It does indicate October 3,1900 as the date 118356 was shipped to the Ball facility from Hamilton.

The list for the watches going to the Finishing Department are a little more interesting.

118001-050 are listed as 999 BLE
118051-075 999 ORC
118076-100 999 BRT
118101-125 999 BLF
118126-200 999 ORRS
118201-350 999 ORRS

118351-425 999 CE

118426-450 999 BLF
118451-475 999 ORRS
118476-500 999 ORC
118501-600 and all the way to 119000 they are just shown as 999

So the movement in question 118356 was referred to as a "999 CE" and on July 26, 1900 it went to the finishing department.

Now, if we can figure out what "999 CE" means then it it may help us understand more about your unusual movement damaskeening. One question is answered but then additional questions are raised. Just 75 movements were noted as "999 CE" and your 118356 is clearly one of them.

The information we see on that list also gives us a clue on just how rare some of the Brotherhood markings are. Looks like they were usually ordered just 25 at a time.

None of this is high production or common by any means!

Lindell

Wink
 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
posted
thanks to Lindell for the research, i have no idea what "CE" stands for either, but talking to my wife who collects "Barbies" she thought it meant, LOL "collector Edition". i got a real kick out of that, thanks for you help and keep up the great work you do, maybe some day we shall know what "CE" means. charlie
 
Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
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The name and city on the dial alone is still interesting. North Manchester had a big rail depot at one time. The Detroit, Eel River, Illinois, Cincinnati, The Wabash and Michigan (later Big Four) railroads all had to go through North Manchester. And Lavey & Son Jewelers & Opticians (their full name way back when) was I think the main (Only?) jeweler in this once very railroad town.
 
Posts: 110 | Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana U.S.of A. | Registered: April 29, 2006
Railway Historian
IHC Life Member
Site Moderator
Picture of Larry Buchan
posted
I talked to Lindell this afternoon about this watch, and I must admit that I have never seen a 17 jewel ORRS with Sunburst damaskeening. I looked through all my research information and could find nothing comparable. I did notice in the Ball section on page 152 of the current price guide there is a picture of a 17 jewel Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen with Sunburst damaskeening its serial number is #13020. This example here is a very interesting watch, I too have no idea what the C.E. means either.

Larry Buchan
 
Posts: 3370 | Location: Okotoks Alberta Canada | Registered: November 22, 2002
IHC Life Member
RR Watch Expert
Picture of Ed Ueberall
posted
Hmmm, a little pure speculation here.
Could the "CE" stand for custom engraving? I wonder if these movements could have been "private labels" for Ball to sell in his retail jewelry store, thus the "Ball & Co." engraving.


Ed Ueberall
IHC Member 34
The Escapement
 
Posts: 620 | Location: Pooler, Georgia in the U.S.A. | Registered: November 23, 2002
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Hi Larry, Ed, thanks for checking into this watch and while i still have no idea what CE means it is still in the middle of brotherhood runs and has never seen before any collectors before that i have talked to, and only 75 made makes it only more interesting. if i could see another one made in a different serial number range, i may be able to discount its rarity. $13,000 was paid for a 23j of which only 100 were made recently and i wonder what this might bring?
 
Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
posted
put it up for auction on the site , and we can find out what she'll bring Smile
 
Posts: 109 | Location: Brookpark, Ohio U.S.A. | Registered: January 06, 2005
posted
Hi all, someone e-mailed about this watch today, so thought i'd just bring it to the forefront again,
 
Posts: 209 | Location: Northern Arkansas in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
posted
Charlie

One went off on Ebay a couple of days ago. I was watching it but someone convinced the seller to do a buy it now deal

happy hunting
 
Posts: 881 | Location: Arroyo Grande, California USA | Registered: February 22, 2004
posted
Recent siting on eBay of this Sunray 17 j

Its back up. interesting to see what it goes for.

happy hunting

[Movement number: 118354]

 
Posts: 881 | Location: Arroyo Grande, California USA | Registered: February 22, 2004
IHC Member 1541
Picture of Lorne Wasylishen
posted
Bill, it went for only $355.
 
Posts: 2093 | Location: British Columbia in Canada | Registered: March 02, 2011
posted
Lorne

Had a reserve on it. Seems unlikely it would be that low.

happy hunting
 
Posts: 881 | Location: Arroyo Grande, California USA | Registered: February 22, 2004
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